Oct. 18 (UPI) -- BP said Thursday that it has started the Thunder Horse Northwest Expansion project in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico four months ahead of schedule, and once peak output is reached will add 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent daily.

"The new project is expected to boost production at Thunder Horse by an estimated 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent daily at its peak, taking gross output at one of the largest oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico to over 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent daily," the company said in a press release.

The project "adds a new subsea manifold and two wells tied into existing flow lines two miles to the north of the Thunder Horse platform," BP said.

Jointly developed with ExxonMobil, the Thunder Horse platform sits in more than 6,000 feet of water and began production in June 2008. It can handle up to 250,000 barrels of oil and 200 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

BP operates in the deep waters in the Gulf of Mexico four large production platforms -- Thunder Horse, Atlantis, Mad Dog and Na Kika. It also holds interests in four non-operated hubs, or offshore floating facilities -- Mars, Olympus, Ursa and Great White.

BP's net average daily production in the Gulf of Mexico is set to grow further "with the addition of the Mad Dog Phase 2 platform in 2021 and other upcoming projects."